Accentcare Home Health of Northeast Georgia

“Care planning, coordination, quality of care CFR(s): 484.60 Condition of participation: Care planning, coordination of services, and quality of care. Patients are accepted for treatment on the reasonable expectation that an HHA can meet the patient’s medical, nursing, rehabilitative, and social needs in his or her place of residence. Each patient must receive an individualized written plan of care, including any revisions or additions. The individualized plan of care must specify the care and services necessary to meet the patient-specific needs as identified in the comprehensive assessment, including identification of the responsible discipline(s), and the measurable outcomes that the HHA anticipates will occur as a result of implementing and coordinating the plan of care. The individualized plan of care must also specify the patient and caregiver education and training. Services must be furnished in accordance with accepted standards of practice. This Condition is not met as evidenced by: Based on review of policy titled “Care Planning and Coordination,” review of records, and staff interview, it was determined the agency failed to follow accepted standards of practice ensuring patient incoming calls were received and returned by staff in a timely manner for two patients (P) (P#4, P#5) of three sampled patients. Findings include: Cross reference to G0608 relating to Coordinate care delivery.”

“Governing body CFR(s): 484.105(a) Standard: Governing body. A governing body (or designated persons so functioning) must assume full legal authority and responsibility for the agency’s overall management and operation, the provision of all home health services, fiscal operations, review of the agency’s budget and its operational plans, and its quality assessment and performance improvement program. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: Based on review of policy titled “Care Planning and Coordination,” review of records, and staff interview it was determined the agency’s governing body failed to effectively manage daily operations for ensuring effective patient coordination of care manner for two patients (P) ( P#4, P#5) of three sampled patients. Findings include: Cross refer to G0608 for findings related to coordination of care.”

“Coordinate care delivery CFR(s): 484.60(d)(4) Coordinate care delivery to meet the patient’s needs, and involve the patient, representative (if any), and caregiver(s), as appropriate, in the coordination of care activities. This Element is not met as evidenced by: Based on review of policy titled “Care Planning and Coordination,” review of records, and staff interview, it was determined the agency failed to effectively follow accepted standards of practice for ensuring patient’s needs are met through staff coordination of care. Specifically, the agency failed to ensure that patient incoming phone calls were received and returned in a timely manner for two patients (P) ( P#4, P#5) of three sampled patients. Findings include: Review of policy titled “Care Planning and Coordination” revised 6/10/2025 revealed the following: 17. Agency personnel involved in patient care will communicate changes and care coordination activities to the case manager or designated Patient Care Manager in a timely manner via telephone, one-on-one meetings, case conferences, and home visits. Review of agency complaint log dated 1/15/2026 revealed P#4 filed a complaint with the agency stating the family of P#4 “has left multiple messages with the office and on the managers voicemail for her to return call over the past 2 weeks and still has not received return call”. Review of agency’s complaint log dated 12/23/2025 revealed P#5 filed a complaint with the agency stating, “called office several times and left a message with no return call”. On 1/20/2026 the surveyor attempted to call the agency office phone, on two different occasions, at 12:06 p.m., and again at 12:12 p.m., and was unable to reach or talk to staff in the office. Surveyor brought the previous phone attempts to the Administrator’s attention and then Administrator attempted to call the office phone, from her cell phone, and was unable to reach or talk to staff in the home health office. On 1/21/2026 at 11:30 a.m., during an office interview, the Administrator admitted the agency has a problem with the current phone system. The Administrator explained all phone calls into the agency office were directed to the secretary’s desk as well as other staff members. The Administrator explained the office secretary would answer the phone call, unless the secretary was unavailable, at that point the agency had designated other members of the office staff to answer the phone. The Administrator admitted on 1/20/206, when the surveyor called the office, four members of the office staff, not including the office secretary, were receiving the phone call to their office phone. The Administrator added that the agency secretary would return all missed calls at the end of the workday.”